GIVE KIDS A SMILE! DAY Local needy children to get free dental care

Local dentists will screen 240 children at three clinics. YOUNGSTOWN -- Dentists in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties are joining with dentists across the country to bring smiles to the faces of needy children as part of the American Dental Association's inaugural Give Kids A Smile! Day. The event will take place Friday. Dentists and other dental professionals will provide oral health-care education and services to at-risk children or those from low-income families who otherwise would not seek or afford such services. The local dentists will see 240 elementary-age children from the tri-county area to offer education and oral health screening, including X-rays, in the hygiene clinic at Youngstown State University, Choffin Dental Center, and a clinic in East Liverpool. All children screened will be given a diagnosis sheet. Those diagnosed with dental disease also will receive a list of safety net or other dental clinics in the area that offer free or reduced dental care. Additionally, members of the Corydon Palmer Dental Society have agreed to treat one or more of these children at a later date. Other educational events have been, or will be, held in schools and other settings throughout the state this week. Children will be educated on the basics and importance of oral health care and how to brush properly. An estimated 20,000 youths will be served. The children also will receive a Crest Healthy Smiles Kit, which includes toothpaste and an electric toothbrush, activity sheets and printed brochures with tips to parents on oral health for their children.